Scientists are exploring how cuteness encourages people to share information, good or bad, shaping perceptions that could influence public opinion.

The Office of Naval Research is studying how emotions prompt people to share information on the internet, particularly how the perception of “cuteness” increases the likelihood of sharing. The goal is to be able to anticipate the spread and reach of cute content—from cat memes to anime—especially if that content is paired with a dark message.

One of the most controversial developments in the age of the internet is the rise of “clickbait,” or manipulating headlines to get reader attention. Getting people to share negative content is easy. What makes people share positive content, including “cute” content, is another story. The ONR is partnering with academic experts studying how people perceive cute and how cuteness affects sharing on the internet.

Even ISIS, the Naval Science and Technology Future Force reports, used images of its fighters with cats, “probably a reference to a companion of the Prophet, Abu Huraira, who was fond of cats.” Bad actors, as NST calls them, use cats and other cute critters to make a negative or divisive message more likely to be shared or even perceived in a more positive light.

An example of ISIS using cats for recruitment in social media posts.

Twitter

But what is “cute”? Cute is something people know when they see it, and everyone’s perception of cuteness is different. One of the best descriptions of cuteness, NST Future Force points out, is the Sanskirt term “kama muta,” which usually translates into the “feeling of being heart-warmed when seeing cute, infant-like things.” Thanks to the internet, we know this also means big-eyed kittens and puppies. NST writes:

“By determining ways to measure cuteness and emotional reactions to cute stimuli, it is possible to then conduct statistical analyses on the impact of cute content and reactions on social media sharing. To prove this hypothesis, researchers conducted a pilot study in 2018 using Twitter to test the role of different emotions on social media sharing... As expected, researchers found that tweets containing cute images or cute behavior and tweets that evoked heartwarming responses were more likely to be shared.”

ONR’s stated goal is to understand why people share cute images and memes and understand how positive emotions like kama muta can be used to stifle negative, divisive content. Could social media become yet another theater of conflict, where the Pentagon and groups like ISIS engage in a meme war to win hearts and minds?

As Napoleon once said, “The moral is to the physical as three is to one."

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Popular Mechanics participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.